The present invention relates to a bin or can for collecting waste.
The invention relates more particularly to a bin comprising a vessel and a pivoting lid that can be moved between an open position in which it allows waste to be put into the vessel and a closed position in which it rests on the periphery of the vessel.
Such bins are commonly fitted with wheels.
To reduce noise nuisance, the vessel and/or the lid of certain known bins are provided with rubber abutments serving to damp the banging of the lid on the vessel.
Proposals have also been made to implement a brake in the hinge between the lid and the vessel so as to slow down the lid as it approaches its closed or open positions.
Such a brake is relatively difficult to make and, in addition, its effectiveness decreases over the lifetime of the bin because contacting portions are subject to wear.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,257 discloses braking a waste container lid by providing an upwardly projecting rib on the vessel of the container to co-operate with the edge of the lid to form an air flow baffle during closure of the bin.
It has been found out that characteristic does not provide sufficient braking and does not significantly reduce the noise created by the lid banging onto the vessel.
The invention seeks to reduce considerably the noise of closing the lid and to do so in a manner that is simple, effective, and constant throughout the lifetime of the bin.
The invention achieves this by the fact that the lid and the vessel are arranged in such a manner that the air leaving the vessel during closure of the lid and when the lid is close to its closed position is forced to turn at least twice, being forced to pass between substantially vertical surfaces belonging respectively to the lid and to the vessel, at least at the front of the lid, preferably at least at the front of the lid and on both sides thereof, and more preferably still all round the four edges of the lid, so as to encourage the creation of raised pressure inside the vessel, which raised pressure tends to brake the displacement of the lid towards its closed position.
By means of the invention, the lid is braked effectively without having to add rubber abutments to the vessel or the lid.
When such abutments are nevertheless still used, the invention provides advantages in that the speed of the lid when it reaches its closed position is reduced, such that the above-mentioned abutments are stressed to a lesser extent and can be smaller in size.
Furthermore, in the invention, the intensity of braking increases when the lid is slammed down harder against the vessel.
Preferably, the two vertical surfaces between which the air is forced to pass and which belong respectively to the lid and to the vessel are spaced apart by less than 50 millimeters (mm).
Advantageously, the lid has an inner wall or skirt on its inside surface, which inner wall is preferably shaped to engage inside the vessel when the bin is closed.
The spacing between the skirt or inner wall and the main walls of the vessel, when the bin is closed, can lie in the range 2 mm to 50 mm, for example.
Advantageously, the inner wall or skirt is of sufficient height to begin opposing the departure of the air contained inside the vessel and the lid while the lid is closing and is open at an angle of about 2.5xc2x0.
By way of example, the height of the inner wall or skirt along the front of the lid lies in the range 1 centimeter (cm) to 8 cm.
As in document U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,247, the bin may include a rib extending the main walls of the vessel around the opening thereof.
Advantageously, the rib extends around the inner wall or skirt when the bin is closed.
By way of example, the height of the above-mentioned rib along the front side can lie in the range 0 to 3 cm.
Advantageously, the lid has an outer skirt.
Preferably, the outer skirt of the lid extends around the above-mentioned rib when the bin is closed.
The inner skirt or wall of the lid advantageously presents varying height along the sides of the lid with height increasing towards the front, at least from a middle region of the lid situated halfway between the front and rear of the lid.
Thus, when the lid is in its open position, bearing against the rear wall of the vessel, and the bin is tilted by the hoisting mechanism of a collecting vehicle to empty the bin of its content, the risk of the lid catching on a member of the hoisting mechanism is reduced.
In a particular embodiment, the inner wall or skirt along the sides of the lid presents a height that increases from the vicinity of the rear edge of the lid going towards the front edge of the lid.
In another particular embodiment, the lid has an inner wall or skirt presenting a rounded profile along two opposite edges of the lid, preferably along two sides thereof, which profile is concave towards the vessel when the bin is closed, and the top wall of the lid is convex towards the outside, the profile of the inner skirt being selected in such a manner as to make it easier to stack lids prior to their assembly on the vessels of bins.
The bin can have a collar against which the outer skirt of the lid rests when the bin is closed.
At least at the front of the bin, this collar can include a downwardly-directed rim.
By way of example, this rim can serve to receive the ends of combs in the hoisting mechanism of the connection vehicle.
The vessel can also have two upwardly-directed parallel ribs, and the lid has a wall or skirt arranged to engage between said ribs when the bin is closed.
In a particular embodiment, the lid has an inner wall or skirt arranged to engage in the vessel when the bin is closed, and an outer skirt arranged to bear against a collar of the vessel, the bin further having a rib suitable for engaging between the inner and outer skirts of the lid.
In another particular embodiment, the vessel has a collar and two ribs, at least one of the ribs being carried by said collar, and the lid has an outer skirt arranged to engage between said ribs when the bin is closed. Preferably, the lid further has an inner wall or skirt arranged to engage inside the vessel when the bin is closed.
In another particular embodiment, the vessel has a collar and two ribs, at least one of the ribs being carried by said collar, and the lid has an inner wall or skirt arranged to engage between said two ribs, and has an outer skirt arranged to surround them when the bin is closed.
Still in a particular embodiment, the vessel has a collar presenting an upwardly-open channel, and the lid has an outer skirt arranged to engage in said channel when the bin is closed. Preferably, the lid also has an inner wall or skirt arranged to engage in the vessel when the bin is closed.
In a particular embodiment, the vessel has a collar presenting a step, and the lid has an outer skirt arranged to surround said collar and has an inner skirt arranged to bear on the base of said step when the bin is closed.
Still in a particular embodiment, the vessel has a collar with a rim that presents a step, and the lid has an outer skirt arranged to bear against the base of said step when the bin is closed, and an inner wall or skirt arranged to engage in the vessel.
In another particular embodiment, the vessel has a collar having, in section, a portion in the form of a crenellation, and the lid has a downwardly-open channel, the portion in the form of a crenellation of the collar being arranged to engage in the channel of the lid when the bin is closed.
Still in a particular embodiment, the vessel has a collar whose section presents a portion in the form of a crenellation, and the lid has an inner wall or skirt and an outer skirt arranged to take up positions on either side of said portion in the form of a crenellation when the bin is closed.
Still in a particular embodiment, the collar has a rim whose section is xcex93-shaped, the bin has a rib extending the main walls of the vessel upwards, and the lid has a skirt or wall arranged to engage between the above-mentioned rim and said rib.
Still in a particular embodiment, the top edge of the vessel, at least at the front, forms an inwardly directed step, and the lid has an outer skirt suitable for bearing against the base of said step when the bin is closed, and has an inner wall or skirt arranged to engage inside the vessel.
The capacity of the bin can lie in the range 20 liters (l) to 2400 l.